Tricia Hermes and Barbara Tilley Receive the Woman of Spirit and Action Award

Last quarter, WRD faculty members Barbara Tilley and Tricia Hermes were honored by receiving the Woman of Spirit and Action Award, granted by the DePaul University Women’s Network. In the spirit of St. Louise de Marillac who demonstrated a commitment to service, this award recognizes women who consistently contribute to the growth and development of others at DePaul. Barbara Tilley was nominated for the award by a student who writes the following about her former instructor: Professor Tilley gives a lot to her students and to this university in terms of her time, effort, and love for what she does.

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WRD Student Spotlight: Elise Jackson

This week, WRD was able to speak with current BA in WRD student Elise Jackson. She has plans to pursue a career in speech therapy after graduating from DePaul, and in this spotlight, Elise speaks about how the WRD program is helping her prepare for the future. Tell us about your career plans in speech therapy after graduating from DePaul. After graduating from DePaul, I plan to apply to a handful of graduate schools in the Chicago area that offer a Speech Language Pathology graduate program. Right now, I hope to attend either Northwestern, which is my first choice, or

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Recap: Professor Krista Ratcliffe’s Talk on Rhetorical Listening

As students and scholars of rhetoric, we understand that others’ conceptions of what is good or true are influenced by their beliefs and values. But how can we apply this understanding? How can we use our rhetorical knowledge to more effectively traverse difficult conversations, like those happening on our campus and in our city during this contentious election season? In a talk sponsored by the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse, given on Friday, October 7, Professor Krista Ratcliffe of Purdue suggested rhetorical listening as a teachable tactic to help students—and everyone—learn how to listen to and participate in conversations

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Recap: National Day on Writing

Two weeks ago, the WRD Department joined other schools around the nation to celebrate National Day on Writing (October 20). Founded by the National Council of Teachers of English, this day aims to draw attention to the fact that no matter who you are, writing is an integral part of your life. To help with the day’s celebration of all things writing, WRD faculty, staff, and students went out on campus to ask DePaul, “Why do you write?” We received all sorts of responses, from writing out of necessity (my professor makes me) to writing for self-expression and to create

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MA in WRD Weekly Job Listings: November 1, 2016

Looking for job opportunities in and around Chicago? Students in the MA in WRD and MA in NMS programs may be interested in the weekly listings below (click a link to jump to the category): Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Professional & Digital  Writing Jobs, Advanced Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Part-Time Teaching Writing Jobs, Part-Time Professional & Digital Writing Jobs, Entry Level Communications Associate Les Turner ALS Foundation “The Communications Associate is responsible for many of the day-to-day communications activities of the Les Turner ALS Foundation. The associate will work to ensure consistent, timely and effective communications

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MA in WRD Weekly Job Listings: October 24, 2016

Looking for a new job around Chicago? The MA in WRD graduate assistants rounded up these postings this week, lots of them related to teaching and tutoring: Adult Educator – ESL Truman College This position aims “to provide instruction to students enrolled in the Adult Education program at the City Colleges of Chicago in areas such as Adult Basic Education (ABE), General Educational Development (GED), & English as a Second Language (ESL).” Relevant B.A. and experience required, M.A. preferred. Coordinator – Tutoring Services Malcolm X College “The position will be responsible for supporting and coordinating the day-to-day operations of the

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MA in WRD Weekly Job Listings: October 17, 2016

On the job hunt? Here are the job postings the MA in WRD graduate assistants found around Chicago for this week: Associate Director, Writing Center DePaul University “The Associate Director for the Writing Center directs the UCWbL’s Writing Center, an appointment-based and walk-in service that provides writing feedback for all DePaul students, faculty, staff, and alumni through two full-time offices, the Learning Commons, and online services.” M.A. in related field, relevant tutoring and teaching experience required, PhD. preferred. Communications Assistant Elks National Foundation “The Elks National Foundation has an opening for a Communications Assistant at its headquarters in Chicago. The

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WRD 111: Transition DePaul

WRD 111 is designed specifically for international students and was taught this Autumn Quarter by Margaret Poncin and Douglas Sheldon. The course has two main goals—to introduce students to the city of Chicago and to help students transition into the academic culture of the United States. As a result, WRD 111 instructor Margaret Poncin says, “students visit museums, architectural landmarks, and neighborhoods as part of their research for class assignments.” How is exploring Chicago paired with an introduction to U.S. academic culture? One class project required students to do just that—get out in the city and utilize concepts learned in

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Winter '17 Courses Are Here!

It’s time to start thinking about Winter. The Course Cart for Winter 2017 classes opened this week, and registration begins October 13! If you’d like a comprehensive list of WRD’s course offerings, visit the Student Resources page at WRD’s website. There, you can plan your class schedule with detailed course descriptions at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Any questions about what classes to take? Email your program director or contact the department at wrd[at]depaul.edu.

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Oct. 7: Krista Ratcliffe Part of DePaul’s Race & Free Speech Series

As part of the university’s Race & Free Speech Speaker Series and the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse’s Writing and Rhetoric without Borders Speaker Series, Professor Krista Ratcliffe will visit DePaul on Oct. 7 to discuss topics in language and cross-cultural communication. The author of Rhetorical Listening:  Identification, Gender, and Whiteness, Professor Ratcliffe has suggested that an inattention in schooling to listening as a critical communicative practice frustrates our ability to collectively discuss complex social issues.  In the context of competing definitions of race in contemporary American culture (white supremacy, colorblindness, multiculturalism, and critical race theory), Ratcliffe will offer rhetorical listening

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